Health and social care services in North Somerset are set to be merged in an effort to cut duplication and make savings.

At the moment, responsibilities for delivering health and social care services in the area are split across a number of different organisations, but under the plans, which have now been agreed in principle by members of North Somerset council's executive, these duties will be carried out by a new integrated care organisation. The services affected would include Weston general hospital, community health services and social care.

The new organisation is to be responsible for health and social care services for adults and children, and would build on the joint working initiatives already in place. The local authority hopes that the changes will also provide an opportunity to streamline directorate structures within the council, achieving savings in senior management costs.

A spokesman for North Somerset said the organisations involved will now work together to develop the plans further, which would be implemented in 2013.

Under the Health and Social Care Act, responsibility for public health services will transfer from the primary care trust to North Somerset council from April 2013. The council said the district's GPs will be working together as the North Somerset clinical commissioning group. Work is underway to explore opportunities for integrating the council's health and social care commissioning functions with those of GPs.

Peter Colclough, chief executive of Weston Area health trust, who is leading the integration project, said: "Integrated care would bring a more joined-up way of caring for people in North Somerset. It would see staff in health and social care working as a single team to make sure people get the support they need, when and where they need it, without confusion or delay.

"The proposals would help respond to the demographic pressures impacting on social care and health services, as well as minimising duplication and targeting limited resources towards agreed joint priorities."

Nigel Ashton, leader of North Somerset council, and chair of the North Somerset Partnership, acknowledged that there was a significant amount of work to do to implement the changes.

"The next stage is the preparation of a detailed business plan. We have already made a lot of progress and work is well under way to integrate services where it makes sense to do so," he said.